Ukraine won the Eurovision Song Contest in yesterday’s early hours with an infectious hip-hop folk melody, as the embattled nation rides a wave of public support across Europe.
Kalush Orchestra beat 24 competitors in the finale of the world’s biggest live music event with Stefania, a rap lullaby combining Ukrainian folk and modern hip-hop rhythms from an energetic, breakdancing band.
“Please help Ukraine and Mariupol. Help Azovstal right now,” frontman Oleh Psiuk said in English from the stage, referring to the port city’s underground steelworks where Ukrainian soldiers are surrounded by Russian forces.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Following the win, Psiuk — whose bubblegum pink bucket hat has made him instantly recognizable — thanked everyone who voted for his country in the contest, which is watched by millions of viewers.
“The victory is very important for Ukraine, especially this year. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Glory to Ukraine,” Psiuk told journalists.
Coming in second place was Britain with Sam Ryder’s Space Man and its stratospheric notes, followed by Spain with the reggaeton SloMo from Chanel.
Photo: Reuters
Ukraine beat a host of over-the-top acts at the kitschy, quirky annual musical event, including Norway’s Subwoolfer, which sang about bananas while dressed in yellow wolf masks, and Serbia’s Konstrakta, who questioned national healthcare while meticulously scrubbing her hands onstage. “Only at Eurovision do people celebrate bananas, heartbreaks and wash their hands in one and the same show,” Swedish fan Martina Fries said on Saturday ahead of the finale. “Eurovision is a way to show that different countries can celebrate peacefully together.”
The joy of Eurovision is in its camp and theatrics, although the nearly three-month war in Ukraine hung heavily over festivities.
The European Broadcasting Union, which organizes the event, banned Russia on Feb. 25, the day after Moscow invaded its neighbor.
Stefania, written by Psiuk as a tribute to his mother before the war, mixes traditional Ukrainian folk music played on obscure flute-like instruments with an invigorating hip-hop beat. The band donned richly embroidered ethnic garb to perform their act.
Lyrics such as “I’ll always find my way home even if all the roads are destroyed” have taken on new meaning as millions of Ukrainians have been displaced by war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy thanked the group for topping the contest.
“Our courage impresses the world, our music conquers Europe,” he wrote on Facebook. “Next year, Ukraine will host Eurovision!”
The president’s optimistic words come as Russian troops are retreating from Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city, after bombarding it for weeks, and Moscow’s forces continue to be engaged in a grinding battle for the country’s eastern industrial heartland, the Donbas.
Kalush Orchestra received special authorization from Ukraine’s government to attend Eurovision, since men of fighting age are prohibited from leaving the country, but that permit expires in two days.
Psiuk said he was not exactly sure what awaited the band as war rages back home.
“Like every Ukrainian, we are ready to fight as much as we can and go until the end,” he said.
North of Kyiv, in a basement used as safe quarters north of Kyiv a small group of Ukrainian soldiers joyfully watched Kalush Orchestra win the contest, saying it heralded their coming victory in the war to evict Russian forces from Ukraine.
“We had a victory — today in Eurovision, but soon we will have a victory in Ukraine-Russian war,” said Tetyana, a military medic, standing in the basement decorated with children’s paintings of Ukraine’s flag and “Glory to Ukraine” signs.
The tired-looking troops had sat around a screen, some tapping on their knees when Kalush Orchestra performed, and when the winner was announced they clapped and cheered with delight.
“We will also win,” said Vitaliy, a soldier. “We have shown that we can not only fight, but we can also sing very nice.”
Additional reporting by AP and Reuters
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